Cianna Winkler, daughter of Wayne and Beverly Winkler of Verona, is again this year sponsoring a coat drive to benefit the Human Needs Food Pantry in Montclair.
Over the past three years, the local community has donated over 1,000 coats and the pantry distributed them within 48 hours. With weather projections for this winter being similar to last winter, these coats are desperately needed locally and Winkler is looking to top last year’s collection.
The Verona Community Center, First Presbyterian Church and Verona Jazzercise on Bloomfield Avenue have generously agreed to be drop-off points again this year. Please drop off clean, gently used coats, hats, and gloves now through November 30, in the large boxes located in the Community Center main entry way and in the large hall at First Presbyterian Church. The church is also collecting non-perishable groceries to drop off weekly at the Human Needs Food Pantry.
Winkler is very involved in community service and has received the Presidential Volunteerism Award at the Gold level in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She is very active in raising awareness of the homeless and those in need. New Jersey has the 16th largest population of homeless people in the U.S. But what many don’t realize is that the average age of a homeless person is a nine-year-old child, not an adult. Winkler and her family are also founding members of the Sunday Supper Program for those in need sponsored by First Presbyterian Church of Verona.
This past August, Winkler was crowned in the Miss America Organization as Miss Coastal Shore’s Outstanding Teen 2016. She will compete in the state competition to represent New Jersey in January. Miss America’s Outstanding Teen, founded 10 years ago, is the little sister to the Miss America Organization and aims to promote scholastic achievement, healthy living, talent, and community service for America’s teens. Winkler is a sophomore at Verona High School, where she is also on the cross country and track teams, is a Peer Leader, a member of the chorus, and is a competitive dancer at For Dancer’s Only.
May God Bless You and Your Family. This is a very honorable cause. My family will be going through our closets this weekend to donate to the needy. I was shocked to see the average age of a homeless individual is 9 years old.